first before you undertake to be a Corrector of others it 's not worth our time to attend your Amendments Neonom Let me only tell you what those Divines in the Preface to Mr. Flavel 's Book against Antinomianism which they approve of inform us That to say Salvation is not the end of any good Work we can't and we are to act from Life and not for Life were to abandon the humane Nature Antinom I suppose you quote your Authority the rather because that you think the Preface was drawn up to expiate for a Fault some of them had committed and was well school'd for But I pray let us a little examine whether those Gentlemen be not mistaken in denying that Position That we are not to act for Life but from Life For the first part I am mistaken if they will deny That all Gospel-acting is from Life In natural things Life is always presupposed to all Motion and Acting A dead thing cannot nor is expected to move and act As in the natural Man so in the Spiritual and as he must have Life so he must be alive unto God in Christ that acts he must act from him by vertue of him through the Power and Influence of his Grace through the Operation of his Spirit from Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and knows there 's no acceptable Duties or Graces but to be acted from Life as the Fountain and Spring of them and indeed the first Adam acted from Life I pray make a thing act if you can that hath not Life to act from 2. As for acting for Life the true meaning ought to be adjusted That Life should be our End and Aim is not to be doubted according to a right Understanding of it Christ propounds himself as Life unto poor Sinners and saith I am the Resurrection and the Life And so he is the Life unto a Believer He that hath the Son hath Life Now it must be understood when we speak of Working for Life we speak of a considerate sedate regular Acting and Working Not Acting and Working as one that is scared and affrighted with the danger of Life death lying inevitably to his Apprehension before him not as scrambling to save himself in the Water from drowning Now a poor Sinner awakened under the Law and seeing a little Glimpse of Gospel-hope through Grace shining into his Heart it may be bestirs himself with all his might and ascribes much to every Duty he doth But we speak here of what the true Spirit and Disposition of a Christian is he ought to arrive at by Faith the Question is Whether he works for Life A. I say He doth and he doth not 1. He makes Life his subordinate Aim and End But 1. He that hath Christ by Faith doth not work as if he had not Christ already 2. He doth not work for Life so as to entitle himself unto Life some work for this end as if he had not Life already He sees by Faith that he is Christ's and that all things are his whether Life or whether things present or to come 3. He doth not work for Life so far as to think thereby to keep himself alive or maintain himself in a Covenant-state so as by his Works to continue his Justification any more than to get it at first 4. He doth not work for Life in a way of remunerative Justice no not for the continuance of Life in a way of Remuneration For indeed herein lies only the difference between a Legal and gospel-Gospel-Spirit If the Spirit that acted the first Adam before the Fall I speak not of a Legal Spirit since the Fall and the true Spirit of a Believer in Christ be compared together for Adam then acted from Life already given he acted not as having no Life but acted for the continuance of Life upon the account of the working Conditions enjoyned and expected Life by way of Remuneration i. e. the continuation of Life Now such working for Life as this we must reject and such is intended when-ever we say we must not work for Life It 's not to be understood as if the Spiritual Man had not a sanctified rational End in all his Actings which we say is for the Glory of God in Free Grace for Christ in whom his Life is he acts from the Life that is in Christ and he is carried forth to it and in it He is created in Christ Jesus to good Works that he should walk in them looking unto Jesus Heb. 12. And looking upon all things as his in Christ his Business is to live unto Christ 1 Cor. 1.30 31. ch 3.22 23. To me saith Paul to live is Christ and to die is gain i. e. I shall come to a further Enjoyment of Christ Theology is defined to be the Doctrine of living unto God so that in living unto God and to God in Christ a Christian hath all things that appertain to Life and Godliness through the knowledge of God our Saviour 2 Pet. 1.3 Christ is our Alpha and Omega of him and through him and to him are all things to him be Glory for ever and eaer Rom. 11.36 Now what need all this great ado about working for Life shewing the danger of this Doctrine that it teacheth to abandon Nature and supposeth us to do no more than other Men and it makes all Motives useless c. Whereas if Men will not have perverse Minds they must own and acknowledge the same things that they oppose unless they will deny their own Reason But when a Spirit of Contradiction prevails there is nothing but Quirks Sophisms and Equivocations can take place with Men. And notwithstanding all your Noise and Authority to work for Life in the true Sence it is to act as by and under a Covenant of Works it 's to work for Life as Wages and to gain a Right and Title thereby and such a Principle will abandon the Grace of the Gospel It will teach to violate all the Precepts and Principles of the Gospel it will elude all the Promises and lay a Man under the full Rigour of the Law and will never be any effective Motive to acceptable Duty It is a Fault it self that lies under the blackest Mark and of as dangerous Consequence as any the Gospel cautions us against and warns to take heed of seeking the establishing our own Righteousness That true Gospel Discourse of Worthy Mr. Vink at the Morning-Lecture will tell you better things on 2 Tim. 2.19 wherein he shews That Gospel Grace is the best Motive to Holiness He saith Our business is to enquire after what we propound in our Obedience If it be to expiate for my past Offences or to merit undeserved Favours it must needs be abominable in the sight of God being the highest act of Pride or Presumption that can be imagined let our Works be what they will though the best are but filthy Rags if they be offered unto God by way of Barter or Exchange they
by the offering of Christ without Spot to God This spotless Sacrifice whereon he bore Sin and was not defiled And hereby the Conscience of Sin i. e. the Guilt of Sin which is no other than Sin charged upon the Conscience is taken away and thence the Levitical Services could not make any perfect as pertaining to Conscience but it 's the Blood of Christ that sprinkles from an evil Conscience Heb. 10.22 2. A condemning Conscience without which we stand but loathsomly before God yea while for want of Faith we apprehend God deals with us out of Christ we are very loathsom and all our Works and Services dead God loaths and abhors them Is not the Vertue of Christ's Blood compared to a Fountain to wash us in and intended especially of Justification and Pardon and the Saints to betake themselves to it under the Notion of it's cleansing Vertue in that Sence 1 John 1.7 Rev. 1.5 Guilt of Sin then is as great a Pollution as belongs to Sin It 's no other than Sin lying upon the Conscience with an Accusation 1 John 3.20 21. Greg. Nysson saith He bore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Filth of our Sin Dr. O. p. 42. Again Wherever Sin is to be purged out by Sanctification it is to be rid away by Justification but all Filth is to be rid by Sanctification that indwells Now it is manifest that the cleansing Vertue of the Blood of Christ applyed by Faith is the first Gospel-effectual Means of Sanctification and it must be the great Cause of Mortification wherein we are planted together in the likeness of his Death Rom. 6. And what did Christ in his Death but destroy the Body of Sin by carrying it away 2 Tim. 1.10 He hath by carrying away sin abolished Sin and Death slain the Enmity that lay in Hatred of God Pravity and Dominion of sin Whence was it that David was cleansed from Blood-guiltiness Was it not from it's being laid on Christ Was it not that very Filthiness of his Sin Psal 51.14 Doth he not pray to God to be washed throughly from his sin and to be cleansed from it Was not that by the Application of the Blood of Christ Doth he not mention all his Pravity Original as well as Actual from which he would be purged as with Hyssop and made whiter than Snow And wherein lies this Washing Is it not in respect of sin not in respect of Punishment he mentioneth not he explains what he means it is that radical Washing ver 9. Hide thy Face from my Sins and blot out mine Iniquity i. e. From the Face of God's Justice Then follows the Creation of a clean Heart He gave himself for us to redeem us from all Iniquity Tit. 2.14 There is no Pravity Defilement Pollution of Sin what-ever that is so but because of it's contrariety to the preceptive part of the Law must first have it's Foundation of cleansing from Christ's bearing of it away and this Faith applying purifies the Heart from the indwelling Macula in us Whence that Promise Ezek. 36.25 The clean Water there is the Spirit working in Application of the Blood of Christ and therefore Gospel-cleansing lies chiefly in Application of Promises 2 Cor. 7.1 Neonom He took care his Body should not see Corruption Acts 2.3 he would much more abhor to take in our Pollution He was holy harmless undefiled c. Antinom All this we say over and over that he bare Sin but was not defiled with Sin nor corrupted in his Nature but the Spirit of God is not to be believed See Christ's taking away of Sin by Atonement is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.3 Neonom It was Condescension enough that he agreed to be treated as a Sinner But how odious is it to load him with Sin it felf To spit that in his Face that the worst of Men abused him with and it would justifie his Persecutors who punished him if he was really the Person your Principles renders him to be Antinom The Spirit of God renders him to be the Person that my Principles renders him to be It saith he bore our Sins in his Body on the Tree the Lord laid Iniquities on him he was made Sin for us and yet how dare you reproach the Spirit of God in such a manner To say that it 's an odious thing To say be bore the Load and Weight of all the Sins of the Elect that it is spitting in the Face of Christ doing that which the worst of Men did to him and justifying his Murderers I am surprized with great horrour to hear such things out of the Mouth of a Man that is called a Gospel Minister I pray God give you Repentance and lay not these things to your Charge But Sir you have here declared your defiance of the Date of the Imputation of our Sins to Christ and yet would pretend you hold that Doctrine by saying God laid the Punishment of Sin only upon Christ The meer Punishment of Christ I must tell you was not the bearing our Sin for the bearing the Punishment was the payment of the Debt and was his Righteousness which is Imputed unto us if Imputation of our Sins to Christ lay in nothing else they were not Imputed at all to him Punishment was laid upon him and he bore it by way of Suffering in his Humane Nature and was that Righteousness that is Imputed to us in Justification the Argument against you is this That which is Imputed to us was not Imputed to Christ but Punishment of Christ to Satisfaction for our Sins is his Righteousness Imputed to us Ergo not the Imputation of our Sins unto him If your rooted prejudices will suffer you to consider I pray weigh well that Argument you will have more by and by But you still say if Christ bore Sin he must be polluted with Sin Ans It argues not that Sin was his by perpetration or Infusion but only by Imputation they were our Sins by Perpetration and Inhesion which he bore by Imputation The Spirit of God tells us he was a Sinner in one respect and no Sinner in another as the Church of Smyrna was Poor in one respect and Rich in another Omnia diversa natura sua abstractâ sunt opposita as Poverty and Riches Sin and no Sin tamen eidem attributa ratione tantum dissentiunt as a Man may be Rich and Poor Wise and Foolish in divers respects And as to the filthiness of Sin it could not stain him he remained untouched in his Holy Nature but yet I must tell you as bearing Sin by the Sacrifices caused a Typical Uncleanness insomuch as the Bodies were Burnt without the Camp and they that Burnt them and gathered up the Ashes became Unclean such a Judicial uncleanness was Jesus Christ our Sacrifice under wherein he answered those great Types and we are not without ample proof of it especially from Heb. 13.11 Neonom Arg. 2. Had he been Esteemed the very Transgressor his
Iniquity the Lord hath laid on Christ God himself cannot charge one Sin on that Man and he makes a difference between a strong Believer and a weak to consist in the degree of his Perswasion Dr. C. p. 158. Antinom This was a Use that I made upon that Point of laying Sin on Christ If God have laid our Iniquity upon Christ then whosoever thou art to whom the Lord will be pleased to give the believing of this Truth that the Lord hath laid thine Iniquity on Christ that laying thine Iniquity upon him is an absolute and full Discharge to thee that there neither is nor can be any Iniquity for the present nor for hereafter that can be laid to thy Charge and then follows what he hath rehearsed And if this be not true Doctrine that every Believer that by the Grace of God sees his Sins laid on Christ hath a full pardon of all Sins past present and to come so that Sin shall never be charged on him for Condemnation before God I am to seek for the Doctrine of the Gospel I quote that place Rom. 8.33 to me a very full Proof And I do affirm that the Degrees of our Faith doth stand in the Degrees of the sight of Christ's Glory and the Perswasion we have in our Hearts of our part in him And I do not say That he is no Believer that hath not this perfectly far be it from me to say so there are that are Believers that are weak in the Faith and there are Believers that are strong in the Faith the more the Light and Glory of the Gospel shines in the true Intention of God to his People the more shall they return to their rest the more shall they have Joy and Gladness Why may not a Believer then say as David did The Lord hath been very bountiful to me that I may return to my rest God hath done every thing in Christ and taken away all things that can disturb my Peace and Comfort Dr. C. p. 158. Calvin I pray Mr. Neonom let us have your Description of Saving Faith Neonom I shall express it in the Assemblies Words ch 14. A. 2. D. W. p. 72 73. By this Grace a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word from the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular Passage thereof containeth yielding Obedience to the Commands trembling at the Threatnings and embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come But the principal Acts of Saving Faith are Accepting Receiving and resting upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life by vertue of the Covenant of Grace Gentlemen weigh this Account of Faith well which if it were regarded and no essential part excluded when Faith is considered as a Condition of any Gospel-benefit One would think no man need prove that it is not saving Faith when any Essential part of it is wanting and that it must be saving Faith when we mention Faith as a Condition Antinom That Reverend Assembly do here express the Essential Parts of Faith and something more as the Effects of it I take it not to be intended for a Definition wherein only Essentials are put but a Description that takes in Subjects Adjuncts Effects c. The Definition is first given A. 1. That the Grace of Faith is whereby the Elect are enabled to believe to the Saving of their Souls After they proceed to shew the Causes of it the Word and Spirit and after that its several ways of Acting and it's Effects They do in the shorter Catechism give a briefer Account of it which may be more properly called a Definition Quest 86. What is Faith in Jesus Christ Answ Faith in Jesus Christ is a Saving Grace whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for Salvation as he is offered to us in the Gospel And if you please to turn to Quest 31. you shall see what they mean by receiving and resting There they say Effectual Calling is the work of God's Spirit whereby convincing us of our Sin and Misery enlightning our Minds in the knowledge of Christ and renewing our Wills he doth perswade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the Gospel And in the Larger Catechism you have a full Description of Faith as Justifying Quest 72. wherein there is the Genus of it a saving Grace the principal efficient Cause the Spirit the Causa ministrant the subservient efficient Cause the Word Both Causae procreantes The Subject in whom it is wrought a sinful miserable and lost Creature really so and in his own Eyes And then you have the Material Cause the truth of the Promise of the Gospel In the Confession wherein it's more largely express'd it's whatever is revealed in the Word this is the Objective part of it and Material The Form of Saving Faith is an Impression wrought upon the Soul from the proper Efficacy of the Spirit by the Word according to the acceptable Nature and Evidence thereof The Truth must have Goodness in it because we believe many things that we fear and are averse to The Word works objectively upon the Understanding perswading it to assent and set to it's Seal that the Word is Truth and from the Goodness in that Truth it perswades the Will to embrace because Voluntas sequitur ultimum dictamen intellectus and the consenting of the Will is an Effect of the assenting of the Understanding Hence then it 's not barely believing without Ground but upon some Authority In the Confession 't is said For the Authority of God himself speaking in the Word which is believing on Christ believing in God from whence follows an awful Reverence and Regard to his Word as also the resting and depending of the Soul thereon And when it 's determined to the Grace of Justification it 's as in the Larger and Shorter Catechism it receiveth Christ and his Righteousness in the Promise and resteth thereon for Pardon of Sin Justifying Grace through the Righteousness of Christ is the Object and that which it aims at is the accepting and accounting of a Mans Person Righteous in the sight of God for Salvation which is fuller express'd in the Confession shewing what saving Faith in the largest Sence designs viz. accepting receiving and resting upon Christ alone excluding all other Foederal Conditions for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life by vertue of the Covenant of Grace Now you see how clearly they make Faith a Perswasion and that it doth all objectively by taking in the Truth and receiving it for the Understanding receiveth and embraceth by being perswaded it takes in the Light of Truth and the Will embraceth by being perswaded and the great procatarctick Cause is the Covenant of Grace Now I see you have a clean contrary Notion of making it a Condition and moral Instrument i. e. A moral Condition of the Covenant and so a Work and as such
by the several Fruits that it doth produce Neonom Because sometimes the worst of Sinners are made Subjects of Preparatory Work and of Effectual Calling as God's Act on them therefore he thinks that these Sinners are invited to conclude they have an Interest in Christ before they do at all answer that Call D. W. p. 90. Antinom You intimate as if you thought some Sinners were more capable Subjects of Effectual Calling as to God's Act than others and that there 's a Preparatory Work distinct from God's Act in Effectual Calling which I do not think Besides I think God's Act in Effectual Calling upon a Sinner is more than a bare Invitation And I do not think or say That any Man concludes their Personal Interest in Christ because they are invited but because being invited they did come therefore not before they answer the Call by coming Neonom But his greatest cause of mistake is that he thinks the worst of Sinners if Elect have as much Interest in Christ as the greatest Saint Antinom Est Argiva Calumnia when you make it appear that I think so by what I have spoken I will answer to it and your Sarcastick Inference therefrom Neonom You may see the large Catechise Q. What is Justifying Faith They tell us That a Sinner is convinced of Sin and Misery who receiveth Christ Antinom But they tell us that that Conviction which is Saving comes by Saving Faith their words are Justifying Faith is a Saving Grace wrought in the Heart of a Sinner by the Spirit and Word of God whereby he being convinced of his Sin and Misery and of disability in himself and other Creatures to recover him out of his lost Condition not only assenteth to the Truth of the Promise of the Gospel but receiveth and resteth upon Christ and his Righteousness c. And in the Shorter Catechism you may see a more particular account of Saving Convictions that they are wrought in Effectual Calling though they be not so properly of the Nature of Justifying Faith for they say Effectual Calling is the Work of God's Spirit whereby convincing us of our Sin and Misery enlightning our Minds c. He doth perswade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the Gospel You see Conviction and Illumination are both the Saving Works of the Spirit And in the Confession they 'll tell you That Saving Faith is of a larger extent as to the Object it Acts upon than meerly Justifying Saving Faith it convinceth it enlightens it justifies it sanctifies and in this sence they tell you the Nature of Saving Faith Chap. 14. whereby they are enabled to believe to the saving of their Souls and by this Faith a Christian is enabled to believe to be true what-ever is revealed in the Word and from thence comes trembling at the Word and embracing the Promises of Life c. So that this contradicts not but confirms the Doctrine of the 39 Articles That all Works before Faith even Legal Convictions are no more than Sin it 's but the filthy Conscience-polluting Guilt of Sin which Thousands have and which do not dispose the Sinner to love God but to hate him nor to seek Pardon but to seek out a Righteousness of his own Neonom Dr. O. tells us p. 133. Of Justif There is nothing in the whole Doctrine that I will more firmly adhere to than the necessity of Convictions previous to true Believing D. W. p. 89. Antinom If he mean saving believing he must mean previous sine qua non not as a Preparatory Vertue but as Sin is previous to Pardon and thereby Guilt also whereby Sin pollutes the Conscience and is both sin and misery and this may arise from a meer natural stirring of the Law or by the preaching of it which is the Death of Sin the Wrath and Curse that attends it and this may and must arise from a common Faith for a Man is not convinced of any thing that he believes not But if he mean Saving Convictions they are good Fruits and wrought in Saving Faith This he intends here For he said just before Let no Man think to understand the Gospel who knows nothing of the Law God's Constitution and the Nature of things themselves have given the Law the precedency with respect unto Sinners for by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin and Gospel Faith is the Souls acting according to the Mind of God for deliverance from that State and Condition which it is cast under by the Law and he supposeth the State of a Man under meer Legal Conviction to be a State of Death and Condemnation Neonom He saith Displicency Sorrow Fear a desire of Deliverance with other necessary Effects of true Conviction P. 102. Antinom True Convictions i. e. Saving have such Effects but observe he is there distinguishing between common Convictions which before Faith are the common Condition of Sinners more or less which is the Death they lye under He saith Temporary Faith and Legal Conviction are the Principles of all Works or Duties in Religion Antecedent unto Justification observe now what he saith which therefore we must deny to have in them any Causality thereof and so he proceeds to shew what Affections and Duties in Religion may follow thence not that they are Gospel Vertues but rather solendida peccata and they I say are so far from disposing the Natural Man to Justification by Grace that they dispose him rather to seek Justification in himself by the Works of the Law till the Law comes to be Preached in true Spirituality in the Gospel and received by Faith And he saith P. 103. That Reformation of Life and these things are where real Convictions are but yet it must be said that they are neither severally nor jointly though in the highest degree either necessary Dispositions Preparations previous Congruities in a way of Merit or Conditions of our Justification Now is not this a Marvellous measure of Presumption and palpable Design upon your Reader to take the Imperfect Sence of a Man's Discourse to justifie your Errours when you must needs see the said Discourse is point blank against you I 'll hear no more therefore of your Allegations in this point out of Dr. O. Neonom Mr. Norton speaks of Preparatory Works between the Carnal Rest of the Soul in a State of Sin and Effectual Vocation Antinom I know of no such middle State for there is but two States that of Death and that of Life that of Light and that of Darkness but the Works done before Conversion he tells you are called Preparatory by way of meer Order which he saith all the Orthodox assert for that which is plainly first in Order and Nature must be said to be so all the Sin and Wickedness as well as the common Graces and Religion performed by an Unregenerate Man are all Antecedent to his Regenerate State But saith Mr. Norton It 's contrary to the Scriptures to say they are
to God Calvin A Man doth not walk about without his Arms therefore he goes upon his Arms and Hands Neonom Arg. 5. We cannot receive Christ as King without this Repentance of Heart Calvin Nô nor without Faith neither what trifling is here Neonom Without this purpose of Heart no Man accepts of Christ for Sanctification Calvin Therefore you 'l say Christ justifies us by Infusing Righteousness by making us Righteous inherently for which he declares us Righteous an old decryed Popish Errour Neonom A Resolved purpose to continue in Sin and Rebellion against God is Damning let Men pretend what they please Calvin I say more there 's no Venial Sin every Sin is Damning in its own Nature and a Sin repented of without Forgiveness is Damning and the very Repentance of a Natural Man which you would have Conditionate him for Grace is Damning Neonom It 's not to be allowed that it should not be necessary to renounce our Sins with our Hearts in order to Pardon when it is necessary to renounce our own Merits or Righteousness Calvin We reckon it our Duty under the highest Obligation of preventing Grace and great and precious Promises and from the greatest Sence of Duty to renounce our Sins with all our Hearts but dare not do it in a way of Qualification of our selves for Forgiveness least we should make those Repentings and Humblings our Merits as the Papists do whereby Christ profits them nothing and under pretence of Holiness they lose their Righteousness pretend to renounce one Idol and set up another Neonom I will tell you how the Assembly and Dr. O. are of my Mind Calvin You may spare your self the labour for they are point blank against you and so are all Protestants that are not tainted with the Doctrine of the Jesuites Neonom I think there 's never a Barrel the better Herring of you come let 's be gone DEBATE XIII Of the Necessity and Benefit of Holiness Obedience and Good Works with Perseverance therein Calvin HOW do you Mr. Neonomian are you well methinks you look a little Moody Neonom It would disturb any Orthodox Man's Spirit to see how Errour prevails I profess I am almost weary of this Club if this be your Calvinian Club I do think I must betake my self to some other you know where I shall find more soundness in Doctrine Calvin O pray Mr. Neonomian let not Disputants be angry with one another Disputation should be for Information of the Judgment not for the gratifying Pride and Passion put another Question it may be we may agree in that Neonom I will try you once more and if you boggle there Fare you well Gentlemen note that whatever I shall speak now of any Act of Grace except Penitent Believing referrs not to the Forgiveness of Sins or the Sinners Admission into a Justified Estate The Benefits that I here speak of are not the Forfeiture of Pardon the Possession of Heaven and some other Particular Blessings as Increase of Peace Returns of Prayer D. W. Antinom I find now you clapt two Conditions into one why had we not these Conditions twisted together before Methinks you incommoded your self in not doing it yesterday for vis unita fortior but you reckon Faith and Repentance reach no further than the first Justification I think the Catholicks are of your Mind for that 2. You talk of forfeiting Justification the meaning in English is falling away from Grace Neonom Some Mens Brains had need be taken out and washed in Vinegar for there 's no making them understand it were well that you were better studied in Terms of Art Calvin Prethee Mr. Antinomian sit down and hold thy Peace a while you 'll never leave till you have put the Gentleman into a Fustion fume and then we shall lose his good Company pray go on Mr. Neonomian Antinom I smell him where he will be Calvin Nay not yet neither Neonom I tell you then if I may be permitted to speak what an Errour this Antinomian holds He saith 1. Men have nothing to do in order to Salvation 2. Nor is Sanctification a way of any Person to Heaven 3. Nor can the Graces or Duties of Believers no nor Faith it self do them the least good to prevent the least Evil. 4. Nor are they of the least use to their Peace or Comfort 5. Yea though Christ be explicitely owned and they be done in the strength of the Spirit of God 6. And a Believer ought not to think he is the more pleasing to God by any Grace he Acteth or Good he Doth 7. Nor may Men expect any Good to a Nation by their Humiliation Earnest Prayer for Reformation of a People Calvin Now Sir you have a Rowland for your Oliver here 's a long and strong Inditement laid in against you I wish you a good delivery Mr. Antinomian Antinom As I take it there 's about seven things you charge me with I pray make your Proofs per partes I shall be abler to give my Answer Neonom You have told us seeing all things are setled by Christ for us of free Gift I say all we do is for Christ himself and not for our selves Christ comes and brings Justification loving Kindness and Salvation What needs then all this Travel for Life and Salvation seeing it is here already But seeing we get nothing by it c. D. W. from Dr. Cr. p. 41 42. Antinom By this you prove that Men have nothing to do in order to Salvation Gentlemen I must crave your patience to hear that part of my Discourse that you may judge of it It was upon John 14.16 I was saying D. Cr. p. 41. How near hath Christ made the way unto the Father Thus near that he that believeth shall be saved Let me be bold to tell you you are in as full a state of Justification before God Now mark I was speaking of passing from one state to another in Justification and do you not remember what he said That whatever he should speak now referring to any Act of Grace except believing penitently referrs not to Forgiveness of Sins and now he alledgeth what I said upon that account to prove a change about Sanctification You are in a true State of Salvation you that are Believers are as those that are already in Heaven D. Cr. p. 41. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Such a near way Christ is yet still people will be Cavilling where are good Works all this while What justified by Faith alone Saved by Christ alone Let me tell you If Christ be the way of Justification and only Federal Condition of Eternal Life i. e. of all Salvation in Faith and Holiness then Works are not the way except they be Christ but must we not work Yea but for other purposes the Lord hath propounded other Ends not meriting your Salvation for which you are to work ye are bought with a price that 's done therefore glorifie God
Antinom What kind of Supposition Supposition of Duty Antecedaneous to it This is false Faith is a Saving Benefit and it 's not bestowed with a Supposition that any saving Duty is precedent to it So our Union to Christ Gift of the Spirit Justification yea the Grace of Sanctification it self are all Saving Benefits of the highest Nature Neonom 3. The Influences of the Spirit and God's Institutions have no Causality in our Salvation if men have nothing to do in order to be saved Antinom That is as much as to say If we save not our selves the Spirit cannot save us We must be our own Saviours first or the Spirit must make us our own Saviours that we may be saved I told you Adam had been saved by the Influences of the Spirit if he had been saved in his innocent state and it had never the less been a Covenant of Works Neonom On what account is it said That we believe to the saving of our Souls Heb. 10.39 And Repentance to Salvation 2 Cor. 7.10 1 Tim. 4.16 Antinom Those Expressions are Descriptions of true Faith and Repenrance given as to that 1 Tim. 4.16 We deny not that the Covenant of Grace hath many Exhortations Directions Encouragements to Duty but not antecedent to the Promise The General Promise is first participated of before any Duty is or can be performed and after participation of the Promise Consequent to it and Effects of it particular Duties and Promises do follow Neonom The Destruction of Sinners under the Gospel is still laid to not Doing John 5.40 Their not coming not turning and repenting Antinom Yea their blameable moral Inability and Perverseness is that which they are under the Condemnation for Falling upon them in their Apostacy and so their refusing a Remedy is part of their Condemnation under the Law And therefore our Saviour saith such Unbelievers are condemned already they remain under the Power and Sentence of the first Condemnation Neither is the Destruction of Sinners laid to their not doing but not believing in Christ Believing is opposed to Doing because God will not have us to be saved by Doing And when a Sinner comes he is not saved by his Act in Coming but by Christ to whom he is come Neither doth he come till he is saved by the Father's drawing him and Christ finding every Sinner before he comes shews that he is a lost Sinner and never comes to Salvation till Salvation comes to him Neonom If men have nothing to do for Salvation then Christ hath no Rule to judge them that live under the Gospel Christ proceeds on the difference of Men's Carriage and Tempers at the last Day Consider any Description of the last Day you 'll find God saves and damns with respect to men's Neglect and Compliance with the Gospel Antinom Your Argument seems to run thus Upon the same Terms that Man shall be judged at the last Day upon the same shall they be saved now But Men shall be judged by their Works at the last Day Ergo saved by Works now I deny your Major If that were true you might have some Pretence that the Covenant of Grace was a Covenant of Works There 's a great deal of difference between Christ's proceedings in the Covenant of Grace and the Judgment of the Last Day 1. Christ in Covenant of Grace comes not as a Judge to condemn the World but to save it 2. Christ first saves his Church and exerts his Offices in that Salvation first as Priest to make Atonement as Prophet to teach by his Word and Spirit as King to conquer and subdue their Hearts unto himself and all this is done before he rules and governs them 3. Christ in the Covenant of Grace acts not in his Regal Power as King of the World but as King to his Church his Mediatorial Offices are all exerted towards his Redeemed ones in order to the saving of them All final Unbelievers are judged as such as are under the Condemnation of the Law and their Sins only judged the more aggravated because of their refusal of a Remedy The Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from Heaven in Plaming Fire taking Vengeance upon them that know not God and those that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ The slighting and rejecting a Remedy offer'd is a ground of more severe proceeding in the way of Execution of the Sentence which the condemned Person lay under before How shall ye escape that neglect so great Salvation The Talents mentioned Matth. 25.21 24 28. refer only to the distinction that appears between Professors Some act from common Grace only some by special Grace Some are carried no further than common Grace will carry them and therefore bring not forth real Fruit unto God and are not in Christ Jesus have only common Graces and Gifts Neonom I could easily demostrate that if men have nothing to do in order to Salvation the Ministry of Christ and his Apostles is all Vanity and Falshood c. They are cold Pleadings with Sinners that are not backed with Life and Death Antinom It 's easie to demostrate that an unsaved Person can do nothing in order to Salvation and if they can the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles is false For Christ himself saith Without me ye can do nothing and we are sanctified in Christ Jesus and created in him to good Works and Christ worketh in us to will and to do All this is Salvation The first true Motive to a Sinner is the Salvation wrought by Christ already for Sinners in his Death and Satisfaction The Promise of Heaven is a Secondary Motive but is not to be brought as a Primary Motive The rendring Life and Death to working or not working is the preaching of the Law and of the Letter and makes the Gospel such a Law as is the Ministration of Condemnation And to conclude my Answer to the Proof of that Position That Sinners have much to do in order to Salvation And to prove it in the Negative I offer this Argument They that can do nothing in order to Salvation till they are saved have not much to do in order to Salvation But Sinners can do nothing in order to Salvation till they are saved Ergo a Sinner hath not much to do in order to Salvation in your Sence I leave you to consider of it and the Evidence of it for you cannot but apprehend the Demonstration that is therein for doing must be here understood effective Such Works you speak of as appears by what follows Neonom True Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works and Perseverance are the way to Heaven and so necessary to the Salvation of a Believer that without them he cannot be saved and continuing in them he shall be saved Antinom I find you make Holiness or Sanctification and Salvation two things whereas Sanctification is a part of Salvation True Holiness is the way to Heaven but it 's Salvation as well as the Perfection
them to such an end as you ascribe to them 4. Lastly You despise therein the Lord Jesus in giving that which is his place alone to your Graces and Duties Neonom All Promises and Threats in the Word directed as Motives to Obedience are foolish if we must not intend obtaining our own good by our Obedience Antinom Are they so You are not the first that hath reckoned the Gospel Foolishness and reproached the Grace of God God hath chosen these foolish things to confound such Wise Men as you are that can undertake to teach Christ a better Gospel c. Neonom How are they Arguments with the Will if we must not aim at Advantage in doing Duty Antinom It is one thing to have advantage by Gift and another thing to have such an Eye to it as to look upon our selves as Earners of it by our Work A Child that knows his Father hath settled an Inheritance upon him and will provide for him till he is of Age to take Possession is there no Motive to him to be dutiful to his Father but an intending more gain and advantage to himself Must his Father pay him for every Errand he runs and Job of Service he doth Must he look upon himself as Earning and Deserving his Dinner every day and for every Duty and Service his Father must say Oh! thank thee my Son I will remember this Service to give thee advantage for it Or else this Child will be sullen and dogged and say What pâ—ofit is there in serving my Father Such Christians as these you would make Neonom Christ calls with such Motives Mat. 11.28 Ezek. 18.32 1 Pet. 5.2 4. Antinom Mat. 11. He Invites Sinners to come to him for rest he would give it them he says not Go to your Works and Duties for Rest I am not against your taking all Motives from Christ and the Riches of his Grace but I am against Burning Incense to our own Drags as you would have us Thaâ— place of Ezekiel you mention is nothing to your purpose for turning and living there is the same thing And whereas you say What influence hath such pleas As 1 Pet. 5.2 4. 1 Tim. 2.12 Colos 3.34 Peter calls himself a Partaker i. e. by Faith of the Glory to be revealed and he chargeth other Elders to feed the Flock and take the Charge not by constraint but freely and willingly and not mercenarily but as he himself was taught by Christ Lovest thou me feed my Sheep and he saith When the chief Shepherd shall appear you shall receive a Crown of Glory which he hath purchased and promised not which they earned and gained by their working So Paul fought and ran 2 Tim. 4.7 8. not expecting to receive a Crown as due to him for Fighting and Running but as by Faith beholding it purchased for him and ensured to him in the Promise therefore he says It 's a depositum laid up for him even before his running and so for all other Believers as well as he he expected not to make an additional advantage to what he saw laid up for him already or thereby to make it surer than the Promise had already made it and as for other places where Duties are called for and ensuing Benefits promised it 's but a Connexion of the Promised Grace in the Covenant under something different Notions of particular Commands and Promises whereas Duties there are Promises and Gifts of Grace and both together Grace upon Grace from the fulness of Christ not that one hath in it a vertue to gain the other which the Spiritual Man understands and Christ dispenseth Grace in the Word of his Grace in this manner more humano which is of use to the weak many times when he teacheth them to walk as Ephraim by the Conduct of a Spirit of Bondage whilst they labour under weak and staggering Faith but such a frame and weak Understanding of the Truth ought not to be commended as a Vertue and such Weaklings are to be brought as soon as may be to more solid Understanding and higher Principles to act from and more Noble Aims and Designs to the Glory of God in Christ Neonom The Spirit of God approveth of Holy Mens regard to their own advantage Antinom Yes for the whole Gospel is a Sinners advantage or else it were sad and they must see it or else they will never embrace it but they are to see all this advantage is founded in Christ and conveyed by Promise and Free Gift to the Praise and Glory of God Eph. 1.6 7 8 12 19 20. Neonom Moses Heb. 11.26 had respect to the recompence of reward and this is given as the very cause why he esteemed the Reproach of Christ above the Treasures of Egypt Antinom I have given an account of that place already it 's said by Faith Moses did what he did by Faith refusing the World chusing and esteeming Christ his great Treasure and greater than all Riches and Honours even the Reproach and Cross of Christ for in believing he Eyed Christ himself who was his to be the great recompence of Reward he had enough to carry him through all difficulties having Christ and God in Christ and this was the reason of his Perseverance for he endured as seeing him that is Invisible he did not see him that is Invisible as a Reward of his Perseverance but he endured because he saw him Neonom Paul governed himself by these regards 1 Cor. 9.17 24. 2 Cor. 4.16 17. Antinom Paul made it his business in preaching the Gospel to obtain the Ends of the Gospel but he doth anticipate all that you would gather from his Discourse 1 Cor. 9.17 for ver 16. he saith For though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to glory of and when he speaks of his Reward ver 18. truely it is as much as to say I look for none for my Work sake not so much as from Men my Reward is that I make it without Charge that as it comes freely from Christ so also from me he much less had any Mercenary Expectations of Reward from God c. And ver 23. and all he doth for the Gospel sake that he might be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his participation of the Grace of the Gospel was as much as he looked for therefore he would not run at uncertrinty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by Faith in the Promise as looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of his Faith Heb. 12.2 As to that place 2 Cor. 4.16 For which cause we faint not what is the cause It 's in the verse preceding 14 15. The Spirit of Faith was the cause Whereby knowing that he that raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us also by Jesus for all things are for your selves that the abundant Grace might through the Thanksgiving of many redound to the Glory of God for which cause we faint not viz. from the abundant Grace apprehended by the Spirit of Faith and looking at things
of what shall accrue to you thereby Dr. Cr. p. 149. you are not Persons yet come to have that common Spirit and dead to the old Spirit as becomes Christians Such Believers are acted more by a Spirit of Bondage than the Spirit of Adoption The Apostle saith They that are lead by the Spirit are the Sons of God and therefore so far as they are lead by the Spirit act not mercenarily 7. But to let pass your perverting my Sence you will have me to intend Works answering the Call of God to the Unregenerate and you say to this purpose they must be encouraged by Rewards of their Works Were it not rather to charge God as you say when he shall offer them upon the account of their Duties when the Spirit of God tells us they can perform none being Spiritually dead and that which they suppose they do cannot please God Rom. 8.8 therefore cannot obtain any thing from him You say must they not strive to Believe and Repent with an Eye to Forgiveness and Escaping of Wrath I say Not with an Eye to their Works of Believing and Repentance but to the receiving of Forgiveness and Escaping Wrath. Neonom By your Scheme the Elect may be idle and the Non-â—lect do best when they despair for there 's Connection between these Benefits and these Graces and Duties Antinom I pretend not to the making Schemes of the Gospel-Mysteries calculated to carnal Reason as you do I leave that to you that pretend to be so skilful in it But in answer to what you inferr I say I preach not to Men as Elect or not Elect but unto Sinners and I call them to look for the advantage of Life and Salvation in Christ and not in their Duties But yet as I told you I call them to Duty and to the acting of it from higher and nobler Principles than you do not from such a slavish mercenary servile Spirit as you would have them to act from And I think the Doctrine of Free-Grace is no ground of Idleness or Despair but the contrary the greatest Encouragement to Service and preservative against Despair in the World unless it be to such Scheme-makers as you be who charge God with Weakness and Falsehood unless he save Sinners in a way of a Covenant of Works And there 's no such Connection between Graces and Benefits as you plead for Neonom And so the Non-elect are in the same case with Devils there being no serious offer to them nay their Case is worse than Devils for these Offers are made to them with no design but to encrease their Condemnation Nay every Sin of theirs is a Sin against the Holy Ghost i. e. Every Sin is alike that unpardonable Sin and not only that Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Antinom This is the Arminian Plea for Universal Grace and what is this but the smoak of the Bottomless Pit I say Who art thou O Man that repliest against God You come now to prove your Charge of God for Weakness and Folly But if the Non-elect be in as bad a Case as Devils is God guilty of Weakness and Falshood A wiser Man than you did not think so when he said God made all things for himself the wicked for the day of evil Prov. 16.4 Neither was the Apostle Paul of your mind as plainly appears by Rom. 9.18 19 20. But let me return upon you Will you say that it was unrighteous with God to leave a part of Mankind under Non-election to eternal Life and Salvation What will you charge God with for leaving part of the Angelick Nature under it 2. You talk of an Offer to the Non-elect and that Offer you say must be serious and if it be not offered upon such a Condition as they can perform But I pray where 's any Offer of Grace in the Gospel to the Non-elect at all as such And shew me any Graces given or Gospel Duties required of the Non-elect or Benefits promised to the Non-elect upon their performance of Graces and Duties It would not be serious indeed to call for Graces and Duties or promise Life unto them or saving Benefits upon Performance of the said Duties after the Non-election was declared to them Now you will not own there can be any serious Offer made unless the Condition be equally performable by Elect and Non-elect and both be alike in the next Capacity of Salvation or else they are in the same case with the Devils And what it they be as eventually as unlikely to believe and be saved as the Devils why will you be presumptuous to charge God May not God have Mercy on whom he will and harden whom he will without giving an Account of any of his matters And what if the Non-elect be in as bad a case as the Devils is God bound to be any better to them than the Devils For say you God must offer to the Non-elect with the same Mind and Purpose of saving Non-elect as well as of saving the Elect or else God is not serious in his Offers I deny that Gospel-Offers are made to Elect or Non-elect but to Sinners as such and it 's made indefinitely that the Election might obtain and the rest are blinded Rom. 11.5 6 7. as it was with the Elect and Non-elect Jews so it is with the Elect and Non-elect of all Mankind And see there what God saith and that seriously At this present time saith God there is a Remnant of Jews to be saved but according to the Election of Grace What will you say but a Remnant How comes it to pass that the Offer was made to them that belonged not to the Election You 'll say God was not serious in his Offer to them when it was said Acts 3.4 Vnto you first of the Nation of the Jews God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities If the Non-elect in this Nation cannot perform Works say you upon the condition of which they may have the Promise God deals falsly with them Whereas the Spirit of God gives us another Account of these things why notwithstanding this general and indefinite Offer but a Remnant was saved viz. The Election had obtained it ver 7. For saith he if it be by Grace then it is no more of Works nor of him that willeth or runneth but of God that sheweth mercy otherwise Grace is no more Grace but if it be of Works then it is no more of Grace otherwise Work is no more Works 7. What then Israel hath not obtained what he seeketh for or applying it to many Professors or others under a Gospel-Ministry such and such hath not obtained what they pretended to seek after but the Election hath obtained it The Grace of God not Works became efficacious through the Election And what became of the Non-elect You 'll say God mockt them No go you on to mock God with your carnal Reason and hearken
Spirits and becomes our own our Flesh being like the Viper's Stomach that turns the wholsomest Food into Poison See what Excellent Mr. Beza saith in his Confess Chap. 4. Art 19. It is not to be allowed that Works are a cause of Salvation in the whole or any part for if it were so certainly there would be but a Crazy Foundation of our Salvation We must of necessity acknowledg that the Water and Foundation from which it flows are akin because the most thick Darkness yet remains in our Understandings it would come to pass if God should in his strict Justice enquire into the best Works of a Man there could be no other thing determined of them but that they be the mere pollutions of God's gifts as it often falls out that a River otherwise clear and limpid is infected with the Filth of a Jaques thro' which it runs Rom. 7.15 23. Psal 142.2 Now what think you of this For my part I verily believe that Doctor C. took his very way of Expressing and Illustrating these things from this very place of Mr. Beza Now unless you will condemn this Learned and Approved Divine for Errour in this point I see not that you can accuse this Antinomian as you call him I will shew you the Opinions of a Divine who I hope you dare not call unstudied and unlearned it 's of the famous Doctor Tuckney in his Sermons upon this Text of Phil. 3.8 He saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things which includes more than all that was before mentioned If you ask what I Answer according to our Divines whom I am not ashamed of or of their Judgment All his own Inherent Righteousness and best Works after Conversion his labouring more abundantly than they all his Conversion of many Souls his holy and unblameable Conversation Omnia quae hunc Christianus Apostolus ago habeo as Zanchy upon the Text which he sufficiently makes out to be here included both from the Universal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being intended to Express more than was before Expresses of his Morals and Zeal before Conversion and from the Present Tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now that he is Converted he Judges so of all that he was and is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostom and by what he saith Vers 9. c. And to throw you quite on your Back I will shew you a passage in the Assembly's Confession which you would not see Chap. XVI of Good Works Sect. V. When we have done all we can we have done but our Duty and are unprofitable Servants and because as they are good they proceed from the Spirit and as they are wrought by us they are defiled and mixed with so much Weakness and Imperfection that they cannot endure the Severity of God's Judgment Yet notwithstanding the Persons of Believers are accepted thro' Christ and their Good Works also are accepted in him c. Now Sir Seeing the Doctrin which you so Peremptorily call Errour is so clearly proved to be Truth let us hear what you have to say in stating and defending your Judgment and I pray Mr. Antinom do you Whip the Top with him Neonom Truth Tho' the present sincere Holiness of Believers be not perfect according to the Precepts of the Word nor valuable by the Sanction of the Law of Innocency nor any Attonement for our defects and â—e still need Forgiveness and the Merits of Christ for acceptance thereof yet as far as it prevails it 's Lovely in it self and pleasing to God and is not Dung or Filth Antinom We shall divide your Canon into Two parts the Negative and Positive you tell us what it is not and first Note That you change the Terms for the Doctor speaks of Works performed by us when a Duty is performed and becomes a Compositum of the pure Graces of the Spirit mixed with the Corrupt indwelling Motions of our own Hearts and hence he distinguisheth between Grace flowing from the Spirit which is purely Holy and Grace acted and performed by us through the assistance of the Spirit therefore we must keep you to the Doctor 's Terms viz. to our sincere Works or sincere Holiness taken in that sense This being premised 1. You tell us these Works are imperfect and not according to the Word therefore so far sinful for whosoever keeps the whole Law and offendeth in one point is guilty of all James 2.10 And so I say of any Duty if it fail in one point it 's chargeable with breach of the whole Law so the Duty is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Dung and Filth 2. You say it 's not valuable by the Law of Innocency that 's said before for what is not according to God's Precept is Condemned by God's Law by every Law of God it 's so far from Valuableness it stands under a Sentence of Condemnation God never accepted or owned Imperfect Obedience as suâ—h and in it self neither is it consistent with his pure Nature so to do 3. You say it cannot make Attonement If it stand for Acceptable Righteouseness and Holiness it must make Attonement for its Defects and sinful Pollutions the High Priest was to make Attonement for his own Sins before he could be accepted so in this Case that Righteousness that cannot Attone for its own Sins if there be any cannot be Acceptable to God but you say this Righteousness cannot make Attonement for its Sins therefore in it self can never be Acceptable to God Posit 1. You say we still need Forgiveness and the Merits of Christ for Acceptance of these Works 1. Then I say they are Sinful or else would not need Forgiveness 2. They need the Merits of Christ and therefore not Acceptable Righteousness in themselves they are as Dung and Stink in the Nostrils of God the best Works in themselves are such whatever is not capable in it self to make it self Acceptable in the sight of God if it have no relation to another Righteousness it Stinks and is Abominable in the Nostrils of God 3. You say so far as it prevails its lovely i. e. not at all of it self Observe still what we say No good Work of a Believer prevails to Acceptation of us and if not it prevails not at all and that which prevails not to Acceptation is not lovely in it self for nothing is lovely to God but what he Accepts and hence you conclude it is not Dung or Filth but from what you your self have said it can be no other than Dung whatever cannot be Accepted of God without Forgiveness and the Righteousness of Christ to make it Acceptable is in it self and out of Christ Dung But I perceive what you aim at that it is a Righteousness that comes in for a share with Christ and in part it prevails to Acceptation tho' not altogether and here you fall in with the Council of Trent as in all your Doctrin That the Grace of Justification and Acceptance
Christ is made our Sanctification and all that Holiness in us that is accepted it 's not only in and for his Righteousness but it 's performed in the Life and Power of Christ our Sanctification therefore he saith 1 Cor. 1.30 that what we are we are in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification c. Neonom Or is that filthiness which renders Saints the excellent of the Earth Psal 16 2. Antinom Doth not David say ver 2. My goodness extendeth not to thee the original words if you understood them is fuller as to the sense intended tho' shorter than the Translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Goodness is not to thee or nothing to thee and the LXX have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast no need of my Goodness Do you say Is that Filthiness which renders the Saints Excellent I had thought it was the Grace of God Christ's Righteousness and the Inbeing in Christ that had rendred them Excellent not their own Works Neonom The Imitators of Christ Antinom Scholars that Write after another may make very sorry work mere Scribling that the Master tho' he finds reason in himself to accept would if he did not tear it all to pieces Neonom Was not this it for which Caleb was said to have another Spirit and upon account whereof we must love the Godly as begotten of God Antinom Was Caleb's Works his Spirit or his Works flow from his singular Spirit his Spirit was a Spirit of Faith thro' which he did so great things in Christ Jesus and so the Works were accepted Heb. 11. The Foundation Reason of our Love to the Saints is Christ loving them and their Relation to Christ every one that loveth him that begat loveth him that is begotten of him and by this we know we love the Children of God when we love God 1 John 5.1 2. Neonom Is it not pleasing to God to which he hath made so many promises and for which he commends Moses David c. Antinom As God is not pleased with any Persons so with no Works out of Christ neither hath made any promises to any such out of Christ all the best Works are cast forth as Filth and Odious if done out of Christ Neonom Calling them a peculiar People it s no small thing that Christ is so pleased with his Spouse Antinom They are peculiar because purchased and have peculiar Blessings and Privileges and bring forth peculiar Fruits in Christ Jesus John 15.5 6. without me ye can do nothing and if a Man abide not in me he is cast forth as a Branch that is withered and any Work that is done out of Christ is but Dung as 1 Cor. 3.12 13. If a Man in Christ build Hay Stubble his Works will be burnt and he suffer loss tho' he may be saved Christ is pleased with his Spouse his Church because he hath loved it and washed it in his own Blood and therefore she is Comely but as for what she is in her self and as to her Works in themselves and done out of Christ she is but Black as the Tents of Kedar c. Sol. 1.5 Neonom Can that be Dung which is a Meetness for Glory an Honour to God and Credit to Religion Antinom Our Meetness for Glory is all from Grace there 's nothing that flows from our selves no Work done out of Christ can contribute to any Meetness all our Meetness is in Christ Jesus as made unto us Righteousness and Sanctification and we grow up in him in all things as for our relation unto Men we say with the Apostle they are profitable to Men and be a means that they Glorifie God on our behalf but God hath no direct Honour by them if not performed by Faith in Christ Neonom How can that be Acceptable to God in Christ if it be Filthiness Antinom Good Works are good in their kind but comparatively and in themselves because of the mixture of Sin and Corruption they are in the sense of the Spirit of God but Filth you may as well say how can Paul be Acceptable to God thro' Christ who saith In me dwelleth no good thing Must Persons and Actions be free from all adhering Corruption by reason whereof they in themselves are Abominable to the pure Eye of God before they be made Acceptable to God thro' Jesus Christ This is like your constant Doctrins Persons and Actions must be good first before they have benefit by Jesus Christ Neonom Wickedness will never be Accepted with God for Christ sake tho' imperfect Goodness shall Antinom No imperfect Goodness can be Accepted as Righteousness with God for Christ sake Christ never so much as purchased that any of our best Graces or Works should be Accepted as our Righteousness and it cannot be Accepted unto Holiness out of Christ and the Doctor never said our good Works wrought by Faith in Christ are Dung so as not thro' Christ to be Accepted unto Holiness but imperfect Works are no more our Righteousness for Acceptation with God than Wickedness neither in their Nature for Christ's sake Neonom Read what is spoken of Sincerity and Vprightness will it agree with what 's Mortal Poison Antinom Moral Sincerity and Uprightness may and so is all out of Christ Neonom What a Reproach is it to Christ to call his Life in us and the beginning of Glory by this Title Antinom The Life of Christ in us is by the Faith of the Son of God and we are Crucified with Christ to all that 's done by us and therefore account it Dung and Dross in comparison of all done by us and Works give us not Title to Glory tho' Grace begins it Neonom Nay to make his Triumphs in us so low as that all he hath improved his Members to is mere Filthiness Antinom The Triumph of Christ in us is the casting down Imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledg of God and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ Neonom It 's well if the Scriptures can escape clean if all the Works of the Spirit are thus debased when they pass thro' Men. Antinom The Scriptures are clean in themselves as from the Spirit but the Works done by us are not Scripture tho' they be in some measure conformed thereto Neonom But I less wonder that Doctor Crisp should speak thus of the Righteousness of the Saints as in them when he saith the Enemies of Christ may have Sincerity and singleness of Heart towards God P. 450 451 452. Antinom Doth not he prove that Paul in his Unregenerate Estate was blameless as to the Law 's Righteousness Phil. 3.6 and what Paul did against the Churches he verily thought that he ought to do it Acts 26.9 Was not this Sincerity at least in his apprehension had he not an Eye in what he did to the Glory of God The Jews also had a Zeal for God Rom. 10. but you wrong him
they shall be judged of God at the last Day in the same way and manner and on the same grounds is he justified of God in this Life but by Works and not by Faith alone every one shall be judged at the last Day Wherefore by VVorks and not by Faith alone every one is justified before God in this Life This he answers and condemns the following Proposition or not far from it That God pardons Men's Sins gives them the Adoption of Children with a right to an Heavenly Inheritance according to their VVorks which saith he is not only Foreign to she Gospel but destructive of it And you say that Forgiving Adopting and Glorifying c. Judicial Acts of God as a Rector is in a way of rectoral Distribution of Rewards Luth. on Gal. 3.22 saith VVorks done without Faith are under a Curse though they have never so good a shew of Holiness Wherefore so far off is it that the Doers thereof deserve Grace Righteousness and Eternal Life that rather they heap Sin upon Sin After this manner the Pope works and all Merit-mongers DEBATE XIV Of Intending our Souls Good by Duties we perform Neonom THE next Errour that I charge upon this Antinomian is That he saith No Man ought to propose to himself any Advantage by any Religious Duty he performeth nor ought he in the least intend the profit of his own Soul by any Christian Endeavours it being vain and unlawful to do any thing with an Eye to our Spiritual or Eternal Good though in subordination to God's Glory in Christ D. W. p. 152. Antinom I suppose you will not only charge but prove the very things you charge in those words Neonom I will you say There is nothing you can do from whence you ought to expect any gain unto your selves c. Christ hath redeemed us that we should not henceforth live to our selves but to him that died for us c. The Scripture is plentiful in this That no Believer for whom Christ died should have the least thought in his Heart of promoting or advancing himself to any end of his own by doing what he doth Dr. C. p. 150. Antinom Gentlemen he deals with me as you have found upon Examination he hath done formerly I was Preaching upon Rom. 10.2 3 4. and was shewing That Zeal of God proves not a Man a Child of God Dr. C. p. 144 148. and I told them All aim at this that you Build not upon Foundations that will fail you when you come to tryal there is absolutely perfection enough in the Righteousness of Christ alone for your Rest and Security that you shall not need to trust to any thing you do for Life and Peace This is that which God calls you to to go torth from your own Righteousness to rest solely and only upon the Righteousness of Christ if ever you mean to have Comfort in this World or in the World to come I answered this Objection you will say This is the way to destroy all Righteousness and Obedience whatsoever What a Man never a jot the better though never so zealous after God though his Eye and aim be after God in his Zeal A. The World is grown to a miserable pass that Obedience Zeal and seeking after God be of no use at all except a Man himself be a Gainer by his Obedience it 's now as it was in the time of the Psalmist Psal 4. Every one will be ready to cry out Who will shew us any good And if any thing be proposed to Men to be done they answer But what shall I get by it Every one will be ready to shun such an Office or Employment that carry about with them a great deal of labour and expence of time and brings in no profit I must tell you freely There 's not one Duty you perform when you have attained the highest pitch that hath any prevalency and availableness to produce and to bring forth any though the least good to your selves You ought not to think to seek again to your selves by doing or bring Christ to your selves by doing You are not your own saith the Apostle but you are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your Bodies and Spirits Christ hath redeemed us that we should not henceforth live to our selves but to Christ that died for us Now in this Discourse I intend these things 1. That our Duties ought not to Rob Christ's Righteousness of the procuring vertue it hath of all the Blessings and Good that we have 2. That we ought not to perform Duties from a Mercenary Principle thinking thereby to obtain good things of God 3. That we rest not in the Duty done 4. That Duties barely considered in themselves though of the highest Nature are not available to obtain any thing of God for what will our Righteousness profit him And when we have done all we are unprofitable Servants and have done less than we ought to do therefore there 's no reason from our best Duties why God should bestow any good thing upon us 5. That we should do Duties from a gracious Spirit of Ingenuity for the Glory of God and Free Grace not from a poor narrow and selfish Spirit Not but that I am for Duty in a right manner and for a right end Neonom He intends to forbid our intending our own Good though in subordination to God's Glory and laying no stress of meriting for saith he People may think here 's a marvellous discouragement to Persons to do what God calls them to do when they shall have nothing for it I answer When there is a Spirit of Ingenuity they shall be as Industrious to glorifie God to do good to Men as if they did it for themselves They shall do as much for Good already bestowed as if they were to procure it by their own doing Antinom Is this not to intend my own Good whereas it 's not only to intend it but to attend it and walk in the highest Comfort and Enjoyment of it as when Esau and Jacob pass'd mutual Complements Esau saith I have enough but Jacob saith I have all It is as plain as may be made 1. That we should in all we do mind and aim at the Glory of God and Honour of Free Grace For I said Except you mind chiefly that all the Duties you perform are for other Ends and Purposes than your Preferment viz. The setting forth the praise of the Glory of Free Grace and the serving the Generation in which you live and the study of good Works because they are profitable to Men. I say Except you fall upon the performance of good Duties for the common good and benefit without having any such Conceits as what shall accrue to you thereby you are not Persons yet come to have that common Spirit and dead to the old Spirit as becomes Christians I say here chiefly and therefore am not to be understood as if I did mean as Mr. Neonomian saith
to forbid all intending our own good but rather act as one that now hath nothing to do in comparison as to the securing of Spiritual good things to my self Christ hath procured and settled all upon me I have a goodly Heritage Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all my days and from the sence of the greatness and fulness of Provision made for me in Christ I will glorifie him in Soul and Body and Spirit live to him serve him and my Generation not thinking that I can add any thing by my Duties to what Christ hath procured and obtained for me and in this sence it is I say that it is no discouragement because you cannot propound to your self any possible Gain i. e. over and above what Christ hath procured but whatever is the greatest and truest spur or encouragement to Duty is already provided to your Hand freely and graciously I illustrate my meaning thus There are some Children in the World that are very observant of their Parents Dt. C. p. 151. and their aim is that by reason of such compliance their Parents may settle an Estate upon them but when a Child knows an Estate is already settled upon him that it cannot be reversed and he is not able to add to it will such a Child propose to himself in his Obedience and Observance the obtaining that Good his Father hath already passed He knows it is passed already and cannot be by any thing he doth firmer and stronger He serves not now to get his Fathers Land but he serves to glorifie his Father that hath so freely settled his Land upon him Hence you see plainly that I mean in respect of Title not in respect of Possession and Enjoyment for so I say of Believers that have the temper of Christ's true-bred Children indeed They in the Gospel of Christ find all things that do appertain to Life and Godliness they find them all so passed over by God's Goodness and Free Grace to them Dr. C. p. 152. That the Lions shall want and suffer hunger before they shall want any thing that is good Must they now labour to gain these things as if they were in agitation or as if they were yet referred to their will or to their good and evil walking that as they shall walk so they shall speed This is to argue That God is yet to determine with himself how to dispose of those good things that he will bestow upon his People and that he gives good things according to their good or evil Carriage and so the goodness of God to his People must depend upon his Peoples goodness to him which is as the Morning Cloud and as Mens Works prevail with God so God will pour out his Bounty upon them Calvin Mr. Antinom gives us a very good account of his meaning and I wonder that Mr. Neonom you will offer to say he â—orbids the intending our own good though in subordination to God's Glory yea laying no stress of Meriting whereas he is express as to both these And by procuring and obtaining he plainly intends procuring or obtaining a Title to Heavenly Things But Mr. Antinom Did not Abraham in his Obedience unto God Heb. 11.9 10. look for a City which hath Foundations And had not Moses v. 26. in his Self-denial an Eye to the Recompence of Reward How is it then that we should not think to gain or procure any thing by our Duties and Obedience Antinom The great things that the Faithful mentioned in that Chapter did by Faith in the Promise surely Entitling them to those great things they looked for they did not esteem that their Obedience added one grain to their Inheritance by Promise any more than that the very Service of God it self and Enjoyment of him was of the Priviledges promised and they walked therein in Expectation of further performances Abraham looked for a City upon what ground Not of his Obedience but as being Heir already of the Promise of it Moses had an Eye to the Recompence of Reward not as procuring it by his Self-denial but as being Entitled to it by the Promise believed as already bestowed upon him by the Gift and Procurement of Christ and thence was carried forth to his Duty in Love to God and in Honour of his Free Grace as I have said thence it was that no difficulties of Affliction could discourage him nor Worldly Preferments and Riches allure him from his Duty My whole design in the Expressions mentioned by Mr. Neonom was to caution Believers against putting their Duties in the place of Christ in order to Life and Salvation And I have Mr. Luther for my President speaking in the like Case after the same manner The true Christ neither calleth thee to reckoning for thy Sins nor biddeth thee trust to thine own good Works Luth. on Gal. 5.4 but the false Christ i. e. the Devil in the likeness of Christ doth and the true Knowledge of Christ or Faith disputeth not whether thou hast done good VVorks to Righteousness or evil Works to Condemnation but simply concludeth after this sort If thou hast done good Works thou art not therefore Justified or if thou hast done evil Works thou art not thereby Condemned And I neither take from good Works their praise nor commend evil Works but in the matter of Justification I say we must look how we may hold Christ lest while we seek to be Justified by the Law we make him unprofitable to us for it 's Christ alone that Justifieth me both against my evil Deeds and without my good Deeds If I have this perswasion of Christ I lay hold on the true Christ but if I think that he exacteth the Law and Works of me to Salvation then he becometh unprofitable to me and I am utterly separated from him Neonom He saith When you labour by Prayer or seeking to prevail with God to take away his displeasure D. W. p. 154. Dr. C. p. 425. c. and to procure such good you serve not God now you serve your selves Antinom I was speaking against Selfishness in our Performances and said if you suppose you fast pray mourn or do any other Religious Services if you apprehend your own turns are not yet served there will be altogether a Selfishness in the performance of these Duties Selfish Ends and Motives will be your Load-stones and they shall draw up your Spirits in these Services As for Example when we labour by our Fasting and Prayer and seeking the Lord to prevail with God to take away his Displeasure c. and to procure such good things unto us do we serve the Lord or no And do we not serve our selves Nay you serve no God now you serve your selves when only your selves put you upon the performance of the Duty but you will say I must Fast and Pray to get my Sins pardoned A. It 's true that as long as Men think their Sins are upon themselves they cannot be atâ—est but